Fractional CMO roles: Benefits and challenges

You don’t need to be in the office 40 hours a week to be the most impactful leader – fractional CMOs deliver results, not just face time.

In fact, fractional CMO roles are becoming increasingly popular, as they allow companies to bring in senior marketing leaders without the cost of hiring a full-time executive.

It’s a win-win: orgs get high-level expertise without the hefty wage, and CMOs get all the flexibility they want. But, despite the benefits, the day-to-day of a fractional CMO is not without its hurdles.

If you’re thinking of becoming a fractional CMO, this is for you.

Benefits of fractional CMO roles

Fractional CMOs are on the rise – a study by Chief Outsiders found that “attitudes are becoming more positive towards fractional CMOs”, with 73% of people surveyed saying that fractional CMOs are becoming more accepted by the C-suite.

In addition, research also showed that 9% of startup founders and small to medium-sized businesses are currently working with or planning to work with a fractional CMO.

But what are the benefits of being a part-time CMO?

1. Better work-life balance

Because you work on a part-time or contract basis, you have the freedom to design your schedule – from choosing your clients to setting your working hours.

Not only that, but you can even take extended breaks between contracts if you so wish since you’re not tied to a specific company.

2. Higher earning potential

Unlike full-time CMOs who earn a fixed salary, fractional CMOs set their own rates and often work with several companies at the same time. This means you get a more diversified (and higher) income.

3. Exposure to diverse industries

One of the best things about being a fractional CMO is the variety of work. You’re not locked into a single industry or company, but working across different sectors and helping businesses at different stages of growth.

Many people who thrive in this type of role do so because they enjoy the variety since it helps to keep things fresh and avoid stagnation.

4. Career growth

Because fractional CMOs connect and work with multiple executives and founders, they have access to many opportunities, partnerships, and potential future clients. Not to mention that you’re growing your reputation by having a vast network of clients.

This means being a fractional CMO can help accelerate your professional growth.

5. Less internal politics

Some full-time CMOs may get bogged down in company politics and admin, as well as meetings – so, as a fractional CMO, you come in with authority but also with clarity, allowing you to focus on results and tune out everything else.

6. Focus on what you do best

Following that, it’s worth mentioning that fractional CMOs can play to their strengths, whether that’s launching new products, optimizing growth strategies, or scaling revenue, without being pulled into unrelated tasks.

7. Build your own brand

Fractional CMOs are consultants, thought leaders, and a brand on their own. Building your personal brand is crucial, and working with several businesses can give you more credibility and visibility.

8. Job security

While being a fractional CMO can come with the challenge of securing new clients (which we talk about below), there’s no denying having multiple streams of income helps with job security. If you lose one client, you still have others.

You’re also seen as an expert, which makes contract renewals and referrals easier.

9. Potential to scale

You may start this type of work on your own – however, fractional CMOs may also expand into running agencies or advisory firms and, since they've worked with many different people, it’s easier to scale their business that way.

Challenges of fractional CMO roles

1. Limited time, high expectations

As a fractional CMO, you’re expected to juggle multiple responsibilities even though you might just work one to three days a week. This means you have to deliver the impact of a full-time CMO in a fraction of the time.

For example, imagine you’re hired by a startup to increase their leads by 30% in six months, and you might be faced with a small team or a not-very-well-optimized tech stack. With only a few days a week to work your magic, you might struggle to balance your strategy with the team’s execution.

2. Difficulty integrating

Being part-time makes it harder to build deep relationships with your team, understand how office politics work, and fully integrate within the culture.

Spending the first few weeks prioritizing relationships can help you create more buy-in.

3. Balancing strategy vs. execution

You may be hired to implement a high-level strategy, but you’re often also expected to see it through. Without a strong team to implement it, you may find yourself being stretched too thin.

The solution is to have clear role expectations and boundaries so that you can stay focused on strategy while other people handle the execution side of things.

For instance, getting brought in to refine a company’s brand positioning and yet being asked to provide weekly updates on their ad performance (which usually falls within the manager role instead).

4. Proving value quickly

You have to demonstrate impact fast, usually within the first few months of being hired, all the while being part-time. Otherwise, you risk being replaced before you can actually make a difference.

Many fractional CMOs find that delivering a mix of quick wins and long-term strategy helps them prove that value quickly.

5. Managing stakeholder alignment

As a fractional CMO, you may work across multiple companies, which means it can be challenging to align leadership, sales, and product teams – which can lead to slow decision-making (and impact results).

To prevent this, perhaps you can host biweekly strategy check-ins with all stakeholders to help make sure everyone is on the same page, as well as guarantee buy-in.

6. Adapting to different industries

Every company has its own market, customer base, and growth challenges – quickly switching gears between orgs (and industries) means you have to be adaptable.

One company might be small and service a very niche market, while another may have thousands of employees and markets in several countries, and you have to be flexible enough to deliver results in both.

7. Limited resources

Usually, however, the fractional CMO role is in companies with lean budgets and teams. This can make it more difficult to implement impactful strategies since you might not have the authority or budget to make large-scale changes.

In the end, this could result in issues with leadership since you may not be able to execute the meaningful strategy you were brought in to do.

Leveraging AI or employing freelancers can be helpful to combat these restrictions.

8. Transitioning out successfully

As a fractional CMO, you don’t have a permanent role at a company, so you have to set them up for success when you leave.

For instance, you’ve been hired for a few months at Company A to build a strong lead gen strategy but, when your contract ends, there’s no one to take over (meaning the progress will stall).

To make sure the handoff is smooth, you may have to train internal teams or hire a replacement to keep things going.

9. Securing clients

Most fractional CMOs work as independent contractors, so you have to constantly market yourself to get new clients.

You may finish a contract and then spend the next couple of months networking to find your next position.

So, a strong presence on platforms like LinkedIn is crucial, as is attending and speaking at events, and creating thought leadership content that can help you get those leads.

In short

There are advantages and downsides to accepting a fractional CMO role. In the end, this type of work is best for those who enjoy working in dynamic environments and solving different marketing challenges.

There’s no denying being a fractional CMO can be very lucrative, so start building your network today if you’re interested in becoming one.

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